Hopefully you’ve had a look through the awards supplement that comes with our November/December magazine. Now you have the chance to delve into the mind of one of the judges who put the winners on their podiums
What was your first B2B-related job?
I’ve only ever worked in B2B, starting as an account handler for a printer, then moving into print sales and account management. The somewhat leftfield switch to waste and recycling was clearly not part of any career master plan – but allowed me to introduce marketing to an industry in which it was almost non-existent.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
Seeing and being instrumental in how sales, account management, marketing and operations all intertwine to keep our clients happy.
Which B2B brand do you most admire?
Brands such as VW, which are underpinned by a fantastic, basic visual image. Its adverts, in both B2B and B2C markets, follow a similar design template but manage to successfully convey the appropriate message to the relevant target audience.
Whose job would you like most?
Head of FIFA – I would ban any football player verbally abusing referees. What kind of message does that send to kids and other stakeholders? I wonder if Greg Dyke (new head of the FA) will take this into account as part of his 10-year plan?
What is your favourite B2B ad campaign?
IBM’s ‘Smarter planet’ campaign; using day-to-day objects and locations that we often take for granted to promote the brand. I love the simple idea of using outdoor media with bold and instantly recognisable visuals, to sub-consciously get your brand out into the market.
What’s the best piece of marketing advice you’ve ever been given?
I don’t recall anything particularly ground-breaking, but love simplicity. Simplicity of message, simplicity of design and the often over-looked ability of providing a genuinely brilliant service to customers. So often I see marketers getting carried away establishing what looks like a cleverly integrated campaign across many platforms, but failing, as it is unnecessarily complex and they have not really understood what it is the target market wants.
What is your proudest achievement?
Leading the ethical and environmental position in our market. This has allowed us to work with many incredible clients who are similarly passionate.
To succeed, a B2B marketer must…
Get to the heart of what the client wants. This is arguably more realistic in B2B than B2C as you have the ability to not only nurture in-depth relationships with the client, but also the clients’ stakeholders.
What’s the next big thing in B2B marketing?
Getting back to basics. In straightened times, evidence of ROI is critical and simple tools that have been dismissed in the haze of social media have now risen in importance again.
